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Most Ardently Yours
From USA Today Bestselling author Freya Sampson comes a swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud romance inspired by Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice that begs the question: what if your book boyfriend jumped from the pages of their story and into your life?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of many romance novels, must be in want of a book boyfriend."
Zoe Knight, a struggling romance writer, has sworn off men for good. At least…the ones in real life. Once a believer in a happily ever after, she now curbs her loneliness with the help of the best book boyfriends in literature – and there is no better man than Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy. So when she stumbles into a classic London bookshop and argues with the annoyingly attractive store owner, Nick, who refuses to sell romance novels, she decides to liberate him of a dusty copy of Pride & Prejudice abandoned on a top shelf.
But this is no ordinary book.
After reading from the pages, Zoe finds herself in a remarkable situation: she has accidentally summoned the Mr. Darcy to the real world. Now, she's face-to-face with the man she's loved forever, and he's everything she dreamed he would be. Handsome? Check. Brooding? Check. Talks like he swallowed a thesaurus? Check and check. But even in all his regency perfection, can he ever be as good as in the novel? And if he's here, in her London apartment trying to figure out how to work a shower , what will happen to the literary world he came from? With Nick—the last man she could ever be prevailed upon to work with—urging her to send the fictional Darcy back to his own story, Zoe will have to decide what she really wants from a happy ending, before it's too late.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of many romance novels, must be in want of a book boyfriend."
Zoe Knight, a struggling romance writer, has sworn off men for good. At least…the ones in real life. Once a believer in a happily ever after, she now curbs her loneliness with the help of the best book boyfriends in literature – and there is no better man than Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy. So when she stumbles into a classic London bookshop and argues with the annoyingly attractive store owner, Nick, who refuses to sell romance novels, she decides to liberate him of a dusty copy of Pride & Prejudice abandoned on a top shelf.
But this is no ordinary book.
After reading from the pages, Zoe finds herself in a remarkable situation: she has accidentally summoned the Mr. Darcy to the real world. Now, she's face-to-face with the man she's loved forever, and he's everything she dreamed he would be. Handsome? Check. Brooding? Check. Talks like he swallowed a thesaurus? Check and check. But even in all his regency perfection, can he ever be as good as in the novel? And if he's here, in her London apartment trying to figure out how to work a shower , what will happen to the literary world he came from? With Nick—the last man she could ever be prevailed upon to work with—urging her to send the fictional Darcy back to his own story, Zoe will have to decide what she really wants from a happy ending, before it's too late.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2026
About the author
Freya Sampson
11 books1,834 followersFreya Sampson is the USA Today bestselling author of The Last Chance Library and The Lost Ticket/The Girl on the 88 Bus. She studied history at Cambridge University and worked in television as an executive producer, making documentaries about everything from the British royal family to neighbours from hell. She lives in London with her husband, children and cats. Nosy Neighbours is her third novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 910 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson
I've now read five books by Freya Sampson and I was thrilled to see this one includes Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy! I'm such a fan of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice so I'm the person for this story. Darcy (Colin Firth is Darcy for me) is a most swoon worthy book boyfriend and makes it so hard for people like Zoe Knight, a struggling/failed romance writer, to ever hope to find love in real life. No one in real life can compare to Darcy or a long list of other dreamy book boyfriends Zoe wishes she could meet in real life.
It's when Zoe has a Meet-Rude (the rudeness is all Zoe and I was put out with her immaturity towards Nick) with a handsome bookstore owner and steals his well used Pride and Prejudice book that Zoe accidently summons Darcy from the book. My favorite parts of the story are with Darcy in our world, Darcy having to make his own toast (horrors!), Darcy reveling in showers (amazing), Darcy devouring Nutella (ha ha, his new favorite food). And Darcy is glued to the TV, where he learns about our time from the craziest shows.
When Nick finds out Darcy is out of the book, he's horrified. It seems he has had experience with this and demands Darcy be sent back where he belongs. Zoe wants to keep Darcy, finally she has a man she can stand, but soon she finds that Darcy really must go back into the book and Nick is the one who can probably help her get Darcy where he belongs.
Zoe learns so much from Darcy, there are some really important life lessons for everyone in the story. It helps to know your Jane Austen/Darcy/ Pride and Prejudice to get some of the humor probably and I do so I thought the story was very funny while also having some very serious life lessons. I was able to read this with DeAnn and Jayme so check their reviews for their thoughts on this "out of a classic" story.
Publication July 7, 2026
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this ARC
I've now read five books by Freya Sampson and I was thrilled to see this one includes Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy! I'm such a fan of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice so I'm the person for this story. Darcy (Colin Firth is Darcy for me) is a most swoon worthy book boyfriend and makes it so hard for people like Zoe Knight, a struggling/failed romance writer, to ever hope to find love in real life. No one in real life can compare to Darcy or a long list of other dreamy book boyfriends Zoe wishes she could meet in real life.
It's when Zoe has a Meet-Rude (the rudeness is all Zoe and I was put out with her immaturity towards Nick) with a handsome bookstore owner and steals his well used Pride and Prejudice book that Zoe accidently summons Darcy from the book. My favorite parts of the story are with Darcy in our world, Darcy having to make his own toast (horrors!), Darcy reveling in showers (amazing), Darcy devouring Nutella (ha ha, his new favorite food). And Darcy is glued to the TV, where he learns about our time from the craziest shows.
When Nick finds out Darcy is out of the book, he's horrified. It seems he has had experience with this and demands Darcy be sent back where he belongs. Zoe wants to keep Darcy, finally she has a man she can stand, but soon she finds that Darcy really must go back into the book and Nick is the one who can probably help her get Darcy where he belongs.
Zoe learns so much from Darcy, there are some really important life lessons for everyone in the story. It helps to know your Jane Austen/Darcy/ Pride and Prejudice to get some of the humor probably and I do so I thought the story was very funny while also having some very serious life lessons. I was able to read this with DeAnn and Jayme so check their reviews for their thoughts on this "out of a classic" story.
Publication July 7, 2026
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this ARC
July 10, 2026
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The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐
Most Ardently Yours
Freya Sampson
Publication Date: July 7th, 2026
Sourcebooks Landmark
320 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: Romance | Women's Fiction
I really wanted to love this book as the author is a favourite of mine, but it just didn't work for me. Maybe because Jane Austen is my favourite author, and having one of her most famous characters come to life can't be easy (though my favourites are the Dashwood sisters from Sense and Sensibility).
The book is charming and romantic in its own way, with a touch of magical realism and comedy. I did like the main character, Zoe. She's a writer of romances who has had her fill of men and gets her romance from between the pages of books. She then gets into a fight with a bookstore owner (Nick) who refuses to put romance books on his shelves. When she finds a copy of Pride and Prejudice there, she is faced with Mr. Darcy in her apartment, and he is everything she imagined him to be. (Oh, be still my beating heart!)
Of course, if Darcy stays, the book might be ruined, and unsurprisingly, Nick has to come to the rescue to help Zoe figure out how to get Mr. Darcy back into the book. I'll admit the book was kinda fun, and I appreciated the whole take (literally or not) on the "book boyfriend" deal. The humour was typical "old-time guy has to figure out the modern world," and some of it was genuinely funny.
However, I wasn't into the repartee between Zoe and Nick—he was kind of an ass, if you ask me. (No one did.) The pacing of the story was also too slow for me after the initial appearance of Darcy, and the conflict dragged out far too long. I never fully understood how Darcy got into the real world; it was just "let's get him out of here," and I got lost in that part of the plot.
Ultimately, I found a lot of the book more frustrating than I expected to. If you like lighthearted books and have ever thought about having a book boyfriend, this would be a perfect book to pick up. It just wasn't anything that wowed me, even though I am a huge Austen fan. I would recommend the author's 2022 release, The Lost Ticket, much more than this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐
Most Ardently Yours
Freya Sampson
Publication Date: July 7th, 2026
Sourcebooks Landmark
320 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: Romance | Women's Fiction
I really wanted to love this book as the author is a favourite of mine, but it just didn't work for me. Maybe because Jane Austen is my favourite author, and having one of her most famous characters come to life can't be easy (though my favourites are the Dashwood sisters from Sense and Sensibility).
The book is charming and romantic in its own way, with a touch of magical realism and comedy. I did like the main character, Zoe. She's a writer of romances who has had her fill of men and gets her romance from between the pages of books. She then gets into a fight with a bookstore owner (Nick) who refuses to put romance books on his shelves. When she finds a copy of Pride and Prejudice there, she is faced with Mr. Darcy in her apartment, and he is everything she imagined him to be. (Oh, be still my beating heart!)
Of course, if Darcy stays, the book might be ruined, and unsurprisingly, Nick has to come to the rescue to help Zoe figure out how to get Mr. Darcy back into the book. I'll admit the book was kinda fun, and I appreciated the whole take (literally or not) on the "book boyfriend" deal. The humour was typical "old-time guy has to figure out the modern world," and some of it was genuinely funny.
However, I wasn't into the repartee between Zoe and Nick—he was kind of an ass, if you ask me. (No one did.) The pacing of the story was also too slow for me after the initial appearance of Darcy, and the conflict dragged out far too long. I never fully understood how Darcy got into the real world; it was just "let's get him out of here," and I got lost in that part of the plot.
Ultimately, I found a lot of the book more frustrating than I expected to. If you like lighthearted books and have ever thought about having a book boyfriend, this would be a perfect book to pick up. It just wasn't anything that wowed me, even though I am a huge Austen fan. I would recommend the author's 2022 release, The Lost Ticket, much more than this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️ 2.5 ⭐️ A lot of us take refuge in fictional men. Come on ladies, you know those late night book boyfriends are EVERYTHING. For me, it will always be Rhysand. He is my number one always and forever (doesn't mean I don't have two, three, four *wink*), but for Zoe Knight, our 28 year old FMC, it's Fitzwilliam Darcy. For those who aren't familiar with Pride and Prejudice, Darcy is the MOST famous fictional love interest in English literature. Women swoon over him because he's someone that changes after he realizes his own arrogance. So not only he sees his wrongs but he actually becomes a better man for a woman that he respects. *Reminds one self to re-read Pride and Prejudice*
Zoe Knight runs into a bookstore during one of those London-rainy days and meets Nick, the owner, who only sells 'dick-books'. Well, Nick actually dislikes romance novels and Zoe clashes with him over this matter, forming unkind opinions about Nick and men in general. The only book that catches her eyes, is that very same romance novel that she adores, Pride and Prejudice. The thing is, she is so mad that she grabs it and steals this book from Nick's bookstore and when she later reads from it, she wills Darcy into her world. When Darcy emerges, he is clearly bewildered. Zoe feels that this is the best romantic fantasy of her life that literally comes to life and she wants to keep Darcy all to herself. The problem is..Darcy and Zoe run into bigger problems: the world of P&P is affected and his absence has consequences! What will Zoe do??
We all want to keep fictional men to ourselves. Some of these fictional men are our emotional hiding places. But Zoe's problem is not that she wants to keep the fictional man but rather she has wrong ideas about real men. And thats where the Zoe's character becomes difficult to like.
Zoe literally says that real men disappoint while fictional men don't. Girl, fictional men are a fantasy for us to find an escape in. They are not meant to guide us or build a utopian like/imaginary relationship that will transfer into real life. I found Zoe to have unrealistic romantic expectations. She wants to built a life around an imaginary boyfriend rather than a real one. She clearly was very distrustful of men and thats OK given what has happened with her ex but her constant negativity and assumptions about men (particularly Nick) really frustrated me. She quickly misjudges him from the very first look without allowing him to say his piece. She herself rejects and decides that no-one is good for her. Her insecurity about love and relationships is a blanket of immaturity and self-righteousness. She was easily a very unlikable character at least for majority of the book. Her views really frustrated me and I don't think she redeemed her self in the way that I'd loved to see.
Secondly, the romance between Zoe and Nick didn't work for me. Here we have Darcy, over whom she obsesses and then we have a real-life man, Nick. They don't spend enough time AT ALL for their relationship to emotionally mature. There was no tension, no build up and no meaningful conversations that were convincing enough to feel their connection. She was emotionally unavailable the first 80% of the story and like I said had wrong ideas. Her romantic obsession with fictional men was silly. Even with Darcy, there was zero-compatibility. While it's a cute idea to bring a fictional man to life, I thought it wasn't well done. Instead of feeling romantic, it felt structurally loose.
Magical realism in this book felt poorly done. Not to ruin what happens at the very last 10% of the story, but things happen VERY quickly and very unrealistically. The elements alone, that I usually adore, felt out of place. I think the last portion of the book will have a greater divide amongst the readers despite its playfulness.
Overall, this is more like 2.5 for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author, Freya Sampson for an early copy.
Publication date: July 7, 2026
Zoe Knight runs into a bookstore during one of those London-rainy days and meets Nick, the owner, who only sells 'dick-books'. Well, Nick actually dislikes romance novels and Zoe clashes with him over this matter, forming unkind opinions about Nick and men in general. The only book that catches her eyes, is that very same romance novel that she adores, Pride and Prejudice. The thing is, she is so mad that she grabs it and steals this book from Nick's bookstore and when she later reads from it, she wills Darcy into her world. When Darcy emerges, he is clearly bewildered. Zoe feels that this is the best romantic fantasy of her life that literally comes to life and she wants to keep Darcy all to herself. The problem is..Darcy and Zoe run into bigger problems: the world of P&P is affected and his absence has consequences! What will Zoe do??
We all want to keep fictional men to ourselves. Some of these fictional men are our emotional hiding places. But Zoe's problem is not that she wants to keep the fictional man but rather she has wrong ideas about real men. And thats where the Zoe's character becomes difficult to like.
Zoe literally says that real men disappoint while fictional men don't. Girl, fictional men are a fantasy for us to find an escape in. They are not meant to guide us or build a utopian like/imaginary relationship that will transfer into real life. I found Zoe to have unrealistic romantic expectations. She wants to built a life around an imaginary boyfriend rather than a real one. She clearly was very distrustful of men and thats OK given what has happened with her ex but her constant negativity and assumptions about men (particularly Nick) really frustrated me. She quickly misjudges him from the very first look without allowing him to say his piece. She herself rejects and decides that no-one is good for her. Her insecurity about love and relationships is a blanket of immaturity and self-righteousness. She was easily a very unlikable character at least for majority of the book. Her views really frustrated me and I don't think she redeemed her self in the way that I'd loved to see.
Secondly, the romance between Zoe and Nick didn't work for me. Here we have Darcy, over whom she obsesses and then we have a real-life man, Nick. They don't spend enough time AT ALL for their relationship to emotionally mature. There was no tension, no build up and no meaningful conversations that were convincing enough to feel their connection. She was emotionally unavailable the first 80% of the story and like I said had wrong ideas. Her romantic obsession with fictional men was silly. Even with Darcy, there was zero-compatibility. While it's a cute idea to bring a fictional man to life, I thought it wasn't well done. Instead of feeling romantic, it felt structurally loose.
Magical realism in this book felt poorly done. Not to ruin what happens at the very last 10% of the story, but things happen VERY quickly and very unrealistically. The elements alone, that I usually adore, felt out of place. I think the last portion of the book will have a greater divide amongst the readers despite its playfulness.
Overall, this is more like 2.5 for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author, Freya Sampson for an early copy.
Publication date: July 7, 2026
July 7, 2026
2.5 stars, rounded up for Mr. Darcy!🫶🏼 I really, really should have loved this one - I usually enjoy a rom-com with some magic realism and I'm def. an Austen gal, but this was just so very disappointing😩 I think it's down to a couple things, maybe? 🤷🏻♀️ 1) The "magic realism" was too much - way more fantasy and I felt it got a touch silly & OTT in the second half. (I like the concept of living inside a book, but Kate Quinn did it better in "Astral Library"!) 2) The FMC, Zoe, was a serious hot mess, so very immature & whiny and I just wanted to slap her selfish face 👋🏻 3) MMC, Nick, was okay, but it felt too "insta-love" & the HEA felt forced. 👩❤️💋👨 Best part of this book for me was Mr. Darcy hanging with the landlady & watching RuPaul's Queens & Love Island!! ❤️🔥🏳️🌈 I will still be interested in the author's next as I've enjoyed a lot of her back-list
July 13, 2026
A lot of good ideas. It just needed a little polishing here and there to become Enchanted instead of just a guilty pleasure for Austen readers.
July 31, 2026
Holy cornball, Batman!! I’m irritated as fuck!!!
The only reasons I didn’t DNF are 1. It’s Pride and Prejudice related. I simply must see it through and 2. I spent money on it and didn’t want it to go to waste.
Experiencing this book in any capacity was, unfortunately, doomed to always be a waste.
Our main character is so insufferable. What do you mean you insist on reducing the bookshop owner to being a misogynist because he doesn’t like romance novels?? He stocks work written by women. He explained his personal grievances for the genre. You KNOW it has nothing to do with being a woman-dominated genre but still he gets called a misogynist??? Do you even know what that word means????? Never mind the fact that his reason for hating the genre was also stupid from the jump but my God. Get real!
Also the level of pop culture references were agonizing. I don’t have an issue with a large volume of pop culture references in theory but when they’re so obviously just the author’s personal interests infused into needless dialogue it’s just irritating and Blegh.
At one point I needed to put the book down because I was so pissed off at how Nick was utilized to create easily avoidable conflict. “Bringing Mr. Darcy out of the book is dangerous! It’ll be destructive! We don’t have much time!!” But does he explain any of that in the same conversation where he’s issuing out warnings? Nope! Just vague, ominous warnings about time sensitive information. Cool. Awesome. Infuriating.
I just hate dumb characters that are presented as being knowledgeable or even normal.
And through the power of just believing in yourself, you too can wield magic I guess.
I liked when Mr. Darcy watched Drag Race and nothing else. Booooo
The only reasons I didn’t DNF are 1. It’s Pride and Prejudice related. I simply must see it through and 2. I spent money on it and didn’t want it to go to waste.
Experiencing this book in any capacity was, unfortunately, doomed to always be a waste.
Our main character is so insufferable. What do you mean you insist on reducing the bookshop owner to being a misogynist because he doesn’t like romance novels?? He stocks work written by women. He explained his personal grievances for the genre. You KNOW it has nothing to do with being a woman-dominated genre but still he gets called a misogynist??? Do you even know what that word means????? Never mind the fact that his reason for hating the genre was also stupid from the jump but my God. Get real!
Also the level of pop culture references were agonizing. I don’t have an issue with a large volume of pop culture references in theory but when they’re so obviously just the author’s personal interests infused into needless dialogue it’s just irritating and Blegh.
At one point I needed to put the book down because I was so pissed off at how Nick was utilized to create easily avoidable conflict. “Bringing Mr. Darcy out of the book is dangerous! It’ll be destructive! We don’t have much time!!” But does he explain any of that in the same conversation where he’s issuing out warnings? Nope! Just vague, ominous warnings about time sensitive information. Cool. Awesome. Infuriating.
I just hate dumb characters that are presented as being knowledgeable or even normal.
And through the power of just believing in yourself, you too can wield magic I guess.
I liked when Mr. Darcy watched Drag Race and nothing else. Booooo
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2026
Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson
Contemporary romance, romantic comedy. Time slip. Multiple time lines.
Zoe Knignt loves a good romance book. She’d tried to write one herself, but her then boyfriend had only criticism for her writing. Now she keeps her romances to books. Zoe passes Baskerville Books often which is close to Trafalgar Square. It’s been in business for yesrs, but Zoe doesn’t know why they refuse to sell any romance. On a whim one day, she stops in and questions the owner. He declares the industry as providing false hope and dreams in romance books. Zoe finds a copy of Pride and Prejudice on top of a bookshelf and when he refuses to sell her the book, she runs out the door with it.
Suddenly there is a mystified Mr. Darcy outside her flat. He’s looking for a carriage and a town that only exists in fiction.
How the heck has this happened? Zoe teaches Mr. Darcy about life in current times. But he doesn’t belong here and only Nick Baskerville may be able to help.
🎧 I was able to alternate between an ebook and audiobook of this novel. The narration is performed by Florence Howard who does a superb job with the three main character voices, each distinct, as well as the emotions that are clearly heard. From Zoe and her passion for books and romance, to Mr. Darcy’s confusion and wonder at modern conventions to Nick’s worry and growing attachment to Zoe. The humor is clear, the confusion and anger is apparent.
The audiobooks brings the situation and characters to 3D life and I enjoyed it so much.
It was so wonderful of Nick to find a way to get to Zoe when needed. I wish she could have reciprocated sooner, but I am happy with the eventual ending.
Entertaining, thought provoking, a little bit of fantasy, and a growing love that made me swoon and laugh. A lesson in patience.
4.25
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Audio.
Contemporary romance, romantic comedy. Time slip. Multiple time lines.
Zoe Knignt loves a good romance book. She’d tried to write one herself, but her then boyfriend had only criticism for her writing. Now she keeps her romances to books. Zoe passes Baskerville Books often which is close to Trafalgar Square. It’s been in business for yesrs, but Zoe doesn’t know why they refuse to sell any romance. On a whim one day, she stops in and questions the owner. He declares the industry as providing false hope and dreams in romance books. Zoe finds a copy of Pride and Prejudice on top of a bookshelf and when he refuses to sell her the book, she runs out the door with it.
Suddenly there is a mystified Mr. Darcy outside her flat. He’s looking for a carriage and a town that only exists in fiction.
How the heck has this happened? Zoe teaches Mr. Darcy about life in current times. But he doesn’t belong here and only Nick Baskerville may be able to help.
🎧 I was able to alternate between an ebook and audiobook of this novel. The narration is performed by Florence Howard who does a superb job with the three main character voices, each distinct, as well as the emotions that are clearly heard. From Zoe and her passion for books and romance, to Mr. Darcy’s confusion and wonder at modern conventions to Nick’s worry and growing attachment to Zoe. The humor is clear, the confusion and anger is apparent.
The audiobooks brings the situation and characters to 3D life and I enjoyed it so much.
It was so wonderful of Nick to find a way to get to Zoe when needed. I wish she could have reciprocated sooner, but I am happy with the eventual ending.
Entertaining, thought provoking, a little bit of fantasy, and a growing love that made me swoon and laugh. A lesson in patience.
4.25
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Audio.
January 30, 2026
As someone who has enjoyed Freya Sampson’s other work and always eagerly anticipates her upcoming books, I am sad to say that this book fell flat for me.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The premise of the book is cute: our beloved Mr. Darcy shows up in the real modern world! I was excited to see how he would navigate his surroundings while figuring out (with the help of the protagonist) how to get back to his own world in Pride and Prejudice.
But, unfortunately, the pacing of the book dragged on for too long. While this is a rom-com/magical realism book, it was riddled with plot holes and unrealistic plot lines.
Let’s start with how the FMC managed to get Mr. Darcy out of the Pride and Prejudice book and into the real world. By the end of the book, there still isn’t any clear-cut explanation of how she managed to do it. The MMC (who is NOT Mr. Darcy, just to be clear — the MMC is a bookstore owner) tells her that his female relatives were the only people to ever bring fictional characters into life — their powers skipped him because apparently only his female relatives have these magical abilities. No mention of witchcraft, no mention of other magical powers. Just the power of summoning fictional characters into real life without any explanation other than, “If someone has a specific problem they need help with, then my relatives magically will the characters out of the book and into that person’s life to help them resolve their issues.”
How did his relatives get these powers? What other things do they do? How is it that these are the only powers they seemingly have and nothing else? And is it only hereditary? Do other people have these powers? If it’s hereditary through the female bloodline, why does the FMC have these powers, then?
At the end of the book, the MMC suggests (per his mom’s theory) that the FMC must have summoned Mr. Darcy because she was totally in love with the MMC and therefore was able to “read Mr. Darcy out of the book.” The FMC then suggests that maybe she managed to summon Mr. Darcy so he could teach her that she didn’t need to have a romantic relationship with anyone in order to fulfill her life (or something like that — I still don’t get the whole reasoning behind it, to be honest). This still doesn’t explain how the MMC’s mom and relatives gained their own powers and what other things they can do so I’m still scratching my head over that.
The MMC also lets the FMC know that the reason their family secret (summoning characters out of books) never got out beyond the bookstore was because “readers are trusted to not leak the secret so they didn’t say anything.” Which makes no sense because we can’t just blindly trust strangers to not gossip about unusual things like summoning fictional characters out of books.
Then let’s get to Mr. Darcy. The beauty of Mr. Darcy (in my opinion) in Pride and Prejudice is that he’s this gruff, arrogant, yet sweet character, who stays quiet and observant throughout Jane Austen’s book and has a good head on his shoulders. Unfortunately, this book doesn’t really pay homage to his original characterization in Pride and Prejudice. I understand that he was set into a new world and was unsteady on his feet, but their interactions throughout the story were not anything like I understood Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen’s original work.
The plot also takes a sharp turn 60-70% into the book, when I thought the plot was close to resolved. (By this point, Mr. Darcy is already back in Pride and Prejudice.) Suddenly, the FMC got stuck in Mr. Darcy’s world where she meets the MMC’s mom (who is revealed to have been stuck there for years). Again, there’s no real explanation as to how she got into the book other than “she wished to visit Mr. Darcy in Netherfield.”
Then the MMC got sucked into their world to try to get both of them back out into their real world — by getting his nearly-dying aunt to somehow magically will him into it. How does a nearly-dying woman who is in hospice manage to do that? And again: How did the FMC gain these powers to begin with?? We then see the FMC will herself out of the Pride and Prejudice book but, for some reason, couldn’t get the MMC out, which there is no explanation for. This added plot line ended up dragging out the pacing for me, and by that time, I was checking how long it would take to finish the book.
The relationship between the FMC and MMC was unfortunately not very well flushed-out. Her scenes with Mr. Darcy and her confused feelings for him were so dragged out that they took place of all interactions she could’ve had with the MMC. We start with her and the MMC’s “meet-cute” (and I say this loosely) where she ends up hating him for no reason other than he doesn’t stock romance books in his bookstore. Then there are more scenes where she mistreats the MMC, and suddenly they have the hots for each other, while he helps her get Mr. Darcy back into the book, and then they get sucked into P&P where they make out. In other words, it was whiplash. I was baffled and had no idea when exactly they fell in love.
Overall, I do appreciate that the author attempted a romantic comedy for the first time. Like I said, I adore all of her other books! My favorite ones, personally, were The Last Chance Library and Nosy Neighbors. Both books had such great characterizations and plots which I was hoping to see in this book. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the plot holes. I’d have to suspend my disbelief completely in order to enjoy it.
That being said, I look forward to reading more of her work in the future and seeing how she improves her writing in the romantic comedy genre.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The premise of the book is cute: our beloved Mr. Darcy shows up in the real modern world! I was excited to see how he would navigate his surroundings while figuring out (with the help of the protagonist) how to get back to his own world in Pride and Prejudice.
But, unfortunately, the pacing of the book dragged on for too long. While this is a rom-com/magical realism book, it was riddled with plot holes and unrealistic plot lines.
Let’s start with how the FMC managed to get Mr. Darcy out of the Pride and Prejudice book and into the real world. By the end of the book, there still isn’t any clear-cut explanation of how she managed to do it. The MMC (who is NOT Mr. Darcy, just to be clear — the MMC is a bookstore owner) tells her that his female relatives were the only people to ever bring fictional characters into life — their powers skipped him because apparently only his female relatives have these magical abilities. No mention of witchcraft, no mention of other magical powers. Just the power of summoning fictional characters into real life without any explanation other than, “If someone has a specific problem they need help with, then my relatives magically will the characters out of the book and into that person’s life to help them resolve their issues.”
How did his relatives get these powers? What other things do they do? How is it that these are the only powers they seemingly have and nothing else? And is it only hereditary? Do other people have these powers? If it’s hereditary through the female bloodline, why does the FMC have these powers, then?
At the end of the book, the MMC suggests (per his mom’s theory) that the FMC must have summoned Mr. Darcy because she was totally in love with the MMC and therefore was able to “read Mr. Darcy out of the book.” The FMC then suggests that maybe she managed to summon Mr. Darcy so he could teach her that she didn’t need to have a romantic relationship with anyone in order to fulfill her life (or something like that — I still don’t get the whole reasoning behind it, to be honest). This still doesn’t explain how the MMC’s mom and relatives gained their own powers and what other things they can do so I’m still scratching my head over that.
The MMC also lets the FMC know that the reason their family secret (summoning characters out of books) never got out beyond the bookstore was because “readers are trusted to not leak the secret so they didn’t say anything.” Which makes no sense because we can’t just blindly trust strangers to not gossip about unusual things like summoning fictional characters out of books.
Then let’s get to Mr. Darcy. The beauty of Mr. Darcy (in my opinion) in Pride and Prejudice is that he’s this gruff, arrogant, yet sweet character, who stays quiet and observant throughout Jane Austen’s book and has a good head on his shoulders. Unfortunately, this book doesn’t really pay homage to his original characterization in Pride and Prejudice. I understand that he was set into a new world and was unsteady on his feet, but their interactions throughout the story were not anything like I understood Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen’s original work.
The plot also takes a sharp turn 60-70% into the book, when I thought the plot was close to resolved. (By this point, Mr. Darcy is already back in Pride and Prejudice.) Suddenly, the FMC got stuck in Mr. Darcy’s world where she meets the MMC’s mom (who is revealed to have been stuck there for years). Again, there’s no real explanation as to how she got into the book other than “she wished to visit Mr. Darcy in Netherfield.”
Then the MMC got sucked into their world to try to get both of them back out into their real world — by getting his nearly-dying aunt to somehow magically will him into it. How does a nearly-dying woman who is in hospice manage to do that? And again: How did the FMC gain these powers to begin with?? We then see the FMC will herself out of the Pride and Prejudice book but, for some reason, couldn’t get the MMC out, which there is no explanation for. This added plot line ended up dragging out the pacing for me, and by that time, I was checking how long it would take to finish the book.
The relationship between the FMC and MMC was unfortunately not very well flushed-out. Her scenes with Mr. Darcy and her confused feelings for him were so dragged out that they took place of all interactions she could’ve had with the MMC. We start with her and the MMC’s “meet-cute” (and I say this loosely) where she ends up hating him for no reason other than he doesn’t stock romance books in his bookstore. Then there are more scenes where she mistreats the MMC, and suddenly they have the hots for each other, while he helps her get Mr. Darcy back into the book, and then they get sucked into P&P where they make out. In other words, it was whiplash. I was baffled and had no idea when exactly they fell in love.
Overall, I do appreciate that the author attempted a romantic comedy for the first time. Like I said, I adore all of her other books! My favorite ones, personally, were The Last Chance Library and Nosy Neighbors. Both books had such great characterizations and plots which I was hoping to see in this book. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the plot holes. I’d have to suspend my disbelief completely in order to enjoy it.
That being said, I look forward to reading more of her work in the future and seeing how she improves her writing in the romantic comedy genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2026
3.5 stars "A swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud romance inspired by Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice that begs the question: what if your book boyfriend jumped from the pages of their story and into your life?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of many romance novels, must be in want of a book boyfriend."
Zoe Knight has given up as a romance writer. When she visits a bookshop she comes across a copy of Pride and Prejudice that allows her to summon Darcy to her world. To make matters worse, the insufferable bookshop owner, Nick, is insisting she send him back.
This was such a fun and enjoyable read. I loved the elements of Pride and Prejudice blended with magical realism and modern romance tropes. It did get a bit repetitive in the middle but overall I enjoyed it and recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Freya Sampson for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of many romance novels, must be in want of a book boyfriend."
Zoe Knight has given up as a romance writer. When she visits a bookshop she comes across a copy of Pride and Prejudice that allows her to summon Darcy to her world. To make matters worse, the insufferable bookshop owner, Nick, is insisting she send him back.
This was such a fun and enjoyable read. I loved the elements of Pride and Prejudice blended with magical realism and modern romance tropes. It did get a bit repetitive in the middle but overall I enjoyed it and recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Freya Sampson for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
August 4, 2026
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes.
This was such an entertaining read! I practically read it in one day (I read 8 pages the first day and then finished it the following day).
This book gets a lot of mixed reviews. Personally, I loved it for what it was. It’s a fun romance with a magical realism twist. Does the main character make questionable decisions at times? Yes absolutely. But there wouldn’t be much of a story if she didn’t. A fair amount of suspension of disbelief is required. If you can do that, the book is enjoyable.
I loved the premise. The lead character, Zoe, accidentally summons Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice to the real world. As you can imagine, chaos and hilarity ensues.
I liked the magical realism element to it (the ability to read a character out of a book). Magical realism is often a hit or a miss for me, and for this book it was a hit. I enjoyed the references to other romance novels and famous book boyfriends. Additionally, I liked that the book focused not just on romance, but also believing in yourself.
The story was incredibly fast paced and there was never a dull moment. The chapters are short which made it easy to fly through the story. I could easily see this book being turned into a movie (I got a ton of Disney Enchanted vibes).
Overall, if you’re looking for something light, easy to read, and don’t mind a sometimes silly plot, check this one out!
This was such an entertaining read! I practically read it in one day (I read 8 pages the first day and then finished it the following day).
This book gets a lot of mixed reviews. Personally, I loved it for what it was. It’s a fun romance with a magical realism twist. Does the main character make questionable decisions at times? Yes absolutely. But there wouldn’t be much of a story if she didn’t. A fair amount of suspension of disbelief is required. If you can do that, the book is enjoyable.
I loved the premise. The lead character, Zoe, accidentally summons Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice to the real world. As you can imagine, chaos and hilarity ensues.
I liked the magical realism element to it (the ability to read a character out of a book). Magical realism is often a hit or a miss for me, and for this book it was a hit. I enjoyed the references to other romance novels and famous book boyfriends. Additionally, I liked that the book focused not just on romance, but also believing in yourself.
The story was incredibly fast paced and there was never a dull moment. The chapters are short which made it easy to fly through the story. I could easily see this book being turned into a movie (I got a ton of Disney Enchanted vibes).
Overall, if you’re looking for something light, easy to read, and don’t mind a sometimes silly plot, check this one out!
July 10, 2026
DNF for using the word "fucktard." Don't even want to write a longer review, that should not have made it through rounds of editing.
Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley,a nd author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley,a nd author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Did Not Finish
January 25, 2026DNF at 22%
This had really cool potential but I actually strongly disliked this. Right off the bat I got the ick from the FMC at their meet-ugly when she goes into the MMCs bookstore after it’s closed, gets everything wet, basically calls him a loser for not liking all kinds of books (specifically romance) and then decides stealing from him is warranted. I couldn’t tell you of the couple had any chemistry or banter because for 22% that’s the only scene they have together. The FMC continues to be annoying and unlikable for the duration of the book that I made it through and the MMC is not featured again in that time , just Mr. Darcy. She initially thinks Mr Darcy is someone “having an episode” and decides taking him home with her is best for everyone (I DNF shortly after).
If pride and prejudice is your favorite book, this is probably right up your alley but there were just too many red flags for me to keep my interest.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exhange for an honest review. Sorry this wasn’t for me.
This had really cool potential but I actually strongly disliked this. Right off the bat I got the ick from the FMC at their meet-ugly when she goes into the MMCs bookstore after it’s closed, gets everything wet, basically calls him a loser for not liking all kinds of books (specifically romance) and then decides stealing from him is warranted. I couldn’t tell you of the couple had any chemistry or banter because for 22% that’s the only scene they have together. The FMC continues to be annoying and unlikable for the duration of the book that I made it through and the MMC is not featured again in that time , just Mr. Darcy. She initially thinks Mr Darcy is someone “having an episode” and decides taking him home with her is best for everyone (I DNF shortly after).
If pride and prejudice is your favorite book, this is probably right up your alley but there were just too many red flags for me to keep my interest.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exhange for an honest review. Sorry this wasn’t for me.
January 20, 2026
Freya Sampson just gave us a charming, heart‑warming rom‑com with characters who feel real and good banter. A soft, wholesome slow burn — perfect for romance readers who can definitely, at least once, had the same desire of materialising their favourite book boyfriend into reality 😅
This is a story that slowly warms you from the inside out.
While the first half leans gentle and steady, the action really picks up around the 70% mark, and that’s when I got completely hooked. This is why the book gets 4 ⭐ from my side - I wasn’t hooked from the beginning but it really grew on me and definitely the last 30% of the book won me over.
The writing is easy to follow, the supporting characters are greatly built and add a lot to the charm and wit of the story (Mrs Atallah being my favourite ❤️).
Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is a story that slowly warms you from the inside out.
While the first half leans gentle and steady, the action really picks up around the 70% mark, and that’s when I got completely hooked. This is why the book gets 4 ⭐ from my side - I wasn’t hooked from the beginning but it really grew on me and definitely the last 30% of the book won me over.
The writing is easy to follow, the supporting characters are greatly built and add a lot to the charm and wit of the story (Mrs Atallah being my favourite ❤️).
Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Once upon a time, Zoe was an aspiring romance writer who lived for the happily ever after, but after her breakup, she swore off men, well, most. She was keeping her book boyfriends. After a tense meeting with a local bookseller who was anti-romance, Zoe steals his copy of Pride and Prejudice, and shortly thereafter, finds herself face to face with her most exalted book boyfriend - Fitzwilliam Darcy. She had no idea how this happened, but after some time, realizes that she must help him get back to his time.
I had a great time reading this time-travel romance. I am no stranger to this fictional-character-joins-the-real-world trope, but I thought Sampson added some great twists that made it fresh and unique. This especially shined in the latter part of the story when it took a turn I was not expecting.
Zoe was a very bookish heroine, name dropping many books and authors I have read as she defended the romance genre to our hero, Nick, but Zoe had also closed off her heart and kept her world small following her breakup. She had been in "love" with Mr. Darcy since her teens when her late mother introduced her to the works of Jane Austen. So, it was no surprise that this was the book boyfriend to magically appear to help her through this tough time in her life. I appreciated the way her world grew and changed with the addition of Nick and Mr. Darcy. They helped her realize she wanted and deserved more, though, as we all know, the heroine saved herself.
I supposed you would call the romance part of this book a slow burn. Every time there was a scene between Nick and Zoe, you could feel the heat, but the progression was slow. Maybe it was to mirror the way it all went down in P&P, or perhaps it was due to the fact that Zoe was trying to fall for Mr. Darcy. Regardless of the reasoning, I did want Nick and Zoe to be together. They bantered well, and one could feel the passion between them. I was definitely rooting for them despite some serious obstacles.
There was also a great supporting cast who added to the fun. Zoe had a wonderful best friend, but her landlady and her cat Mr. Wickham won a place in her heart (as well as mine). And, oh, how I was thrilled when Sampson put Zoe and Darcy on the 88 with a sighting of some of our friends from The Lost Ticket. I live for Easter eggs like this.
Overall, it was a delight traveling through time with Zoe, Darcy, and Nick. I found this romance to be full of wit, charm, and humor that kept a smile on my face from beginning to end.
*ARC provided by publisher
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
Once upon a time, Zoe was an aspiring romance writer who lived for the happily ever after, but after her breakup, she swore off men, well, most. She was keeping her book boyfriends. After a tense meeting with a local bookseller who was anti-romance, Zoe steals his copy of Pride and Prejudice, and shortly thereafter, finds herself face to face with her most exalted book boyfriend - Fitzwilliam Darcy. She had no idea how this happened, but after some time, realizes that she must help him get back to his time.
I had a great time reading this time-travel romance. I am no stranger to this fictional-character-joins-the-real-world trope, but I thought Sampson added some great twists that made it fresh and unique. This especially shined in the latter part of the story when it took a turn I was not expecting.
Zoe was a very bookish heroine, name dropping many books and authors I have read as she defended the romance genre to our hero, Nick, but Zoe had also closed off her heart and kept her world small following her breakup. She had been in "love" with Mr. Darcy since her teens when her late mother introduced her to the works of Jane Austen. So, it was no surprise that this was the book boyfriend to magically appear to help her through this tough time in her life. I appreciated the way her world grew and changed with the addition of Nick and Mr. Darcy. They helped her realize she wanted and deserved more, though, as we all know, the heroine saved herself.
I supposed you would call the romance part of this book a slow burn. Every time there was a scene between Nick and Zoe, you could feel the heat, but the progression was slow. Maybe it was to mirror the way it all went down in P&P, or perhaps it was due to the fact that Zoe was trying to fall for Mr. Darcy. Regardless of the reasoning, I did want Nick and Zoe to be together. They bantered well, and one could feel the passion between them. I was definitely rooting for them despite some serious obstacles.
There was also a great supporting cast who added to the fun. Zoe had a wonderful best friend, but her landlady and her cat Mr. Wickham won a place in her heart (as well as mine). And, oh, how I was thrilled when Sampson put Zoe and Darcy on the 88 with a sighting of some of our friends from The Lost Ticket. I live for Easter eggs like this.
Overall, it was a delight traveling through time with Zoe, Darcy, and Nick. I found this romance to be full of wit, charm, and humor that kept a smile on my face from beginning to end.
*ARC provided by publisher
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson will be released in the United States on July 7, 2026.
Zoe Knight is not quite living her dream as an aspiring writer. She’s given up on writing her own romance novel, but she still devours romance books all the time, even if she doesn’t feel confident enough to write them any longer. As the book begins, her a-hole ex-boyfriend is being celebrated for writing a literary novel. She spends her days as a waitress at a Great Expectations-literary-themed café, until some excitement enters her life the day she steals a mysterious copy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from a grumpy bookstore owner named Nick (yes, he also happens to be hot with misguided taste in literature). Zoe has no clue why Nick even had one of the best romantic novels of all time at his bookstore, when he said he refuses to sell romances and doesn’t believe in happily ever afters…
A hint of literary magic is sprinkled over Zoe’s life after she reads aloud from Pride and Prejudice, magical edition, and the next day, a man who claims to be Fitzwilliam Darcy, dressed in full Regency-era clothing, shows up at the café where she works. Intending to take him to the hospital, instead she can’t resist spending some time with him. Lots of funny hijinks ensue, including Darcy’s love affair with reality television. It seems like Zoe is trying to fall in love with Darcy, her literary crush since she was a teenager, but she can’t stop thinking about Nick Baskerville of Baskerville Books.
Things get even crazier when Darcy realizes he’s not meant to be in contemporary London, and let’s just say Zoe and Nick will have to team up and figure out how to harness some literary magic through an unorthodox tour of Longbourn and Pemberley.
Mixed Reviews, Just Go For It
Some readers mentioned they were not fans of the third act, because there are some curveballs there, plot-wise, but I just went along with it and had fun without thinking too hard about plot holes or anything. You have to suspend some disbelief and just go with the flow and then you’ll enjoy the book all the way through.
Bookalikes
Most Ardently Yours is for Pride and Prejudice fans and romance readers who like books set in bookstores, as well those who enjoyed A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston and Austenland by Shannon Hale.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Zoe Knight is not quite living her dream as an aspiring writer. She’s given up on writing her own romance novel, but she still devours romance books all the time, even if she doesn’t feel confident enough to write them any longer. As the book begins, her a-hole ex-boyfriend is being celebrated for writing a literary novel. She spends her days as a waitress at a Great Expectations-literary-themed café, until some excitement enters her life the day she steals a mysterious copy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from a grumpy bookstore owner named Nick (yes, he also happens to be hot with misguided taste in literature). Zoe has no clue why Nick even had one of the best romantic novels of all time at his bookstore, when he said he refuses to sell romances and doesn’t believe in happily ever afters…
A hint of literary magic is sprinkled over Zoe’s life after she reads aloud from Pride and Prejudice, magical edition, and the next day, a man who claims to be Fitzwilliam Darcy, dressed in full Regency-era clothing, shows up at the café where she works. Intending to take him to the hospital, instead she can’t resist spending some time with him. Lots of funny hijinks ensue, including Darcy’s love affair with reality television. It seems like Zoe is trying to fall in love with Darcy, her literary crush since she was a teenager, but she can’t stop thinking about Nick Baskerville of Baskerville Books.
Things get even crazier when Darcy realizes he’s not meant to be in contemporary London, and let’s just say Zoe and Nick will have to team up and figure out how to harness some literary magic through an unorthodox tour of Longbourn and Pemberley.
Mixed Reviews, Just Go For It
Some readers mentioned they were not fans of the third act, because there are some curveballs there, plot-wise, but I just went along with it and had fun without thinking too hard about plot holes or anything. You have to suspend some disbelief and just go with the flow and then you’ll enjoy the book all the way through.
Bookalikes
Most Ardently Yours is for Pride and Prejudice fans and romance readers who like books set in bookstores, as well those who enjoyed A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston and Austenland by Shannon Hale.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
06/29/2026-06/30/2026
Thank you so much Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted digital proof of “Most Ardently Yours” by Freya Sampson 🧡
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Coming July 7th, 2026)
Freya the human that you are this was gorgeous!
Mr. Darcy literally came to life (in and off page) I felt like I was in the room with him!
What a Jane Austen meets magic masterpiece!
Plus the mentions of sexy Adam from The Love Hypothesis and Xaden from Fourth Wing were absolutely hilarious!
What a fun one sitting kind of read too! I could not put this one down! 📚
Thank you so much Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted digital proof of “Most Ardently Yours” by Freya Sampson 🧡
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Coming July 7th, 2026)
Freya the human that you are this was gorgeous!
Mr. Darcy literally came to life (in and off page) I felt like I was in the room with him!
What a Jane Austen meets magic masterpiece!
Plus the mentions of sexy Adam from The Love Hypothesis and Xaden from Fourth Wing were absolutely hilarious!
What a fun one sitting kind of read too! I could not put this one down! 📚
September 7, 2026
The beginning of this one was probably six stars as Zoe, the protagonist, encounters Mr Darcy in modern-day London. But how did he get here? Many LOL moments!
Audio for this was also well-done. It became a bit predictable, as many books in this genre are, but if you’re looking for a light read with some laughs, and the blurb looks good to you, you might really enjoy this.
Audio for this was also well-done. It became a bit predictable, as many books in this genre are, but if you’re looking for a light read with some laughs, and the blurb looks good to you, you might really enjoy this.
Did Not Finish
August 27, 2026Going to DNF this one at around 15%. The SJM references, HP, and Colleen Hoover references are just pissing me off. Unfortunate because this had some promise.
August 9, 2026
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Mr. Darcy is the ultimate book boyfriend. He's kind underneath his aloof exterior, willing to admit when he's wrong, and knows how to make up for his mistakes. So when he pops out of Pride and Prejudice and into the real world, who wouldn't want to be with him?
I was particularly drawn to this book because Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books of all time. I read a ton of books, so that's saying something. Seeing Mr. Darcy step right out of those pages and into this story was such a treat, and the sheer absurdity of him navigating the modern world made for some truly hilarious situations. The premise does require a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, but that's part of the fun. You just have to go with it rather than overthink the hows, whys, or science behind to truly enjoy it.
More than anything, this felt like a love letter to romance books and to Pride and Prejudice. I especially loved the book's reflection on why romance stories matter in the first place. They bring joy, comfort, and a little bit of hope to people who need it. That's exactly what romance has given me over the years, especially this past year, when I didn't even think I could bring myself to read one. This story gave me that feeling in spades. It was comforting, heartfelt, and genuinely charming, and it came into my life at exactly the right time.
Beneath all the fun of having Mr. Darcy walking the streets of 2026 London and Bath, there's also a lovely journey of grief and self-discovery. After years of self-doubt, feelings of abandonment, and letting a man chip away at her confidence, watching the FMC slowly find her way back to herself while carrying her grief made this feel more layered and emotionally resonant than your typical light romance.
A new favorite for me and one I’d definitely recommend. Most Ardently Yours reminded me exactly why I love romance in the first place, sometimes, people just need a story that makes them happy. And this one certainly did.
To cap off this review, which book boyfriend would you want to summon out of a book? Because Mr. Darcy has opened a whole new world of possibilities. My list already includes Joshua Templeman, Jax Blackwood, Adrian Copeland, and Jacob Maddox (IYKYK).
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Freya Sampson for my copy. All opinions are honest and my own.
I was particularly drawn to this book because Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books of all time. I read a ton of books, so that's saying something. Seeing Mr. Darcy step right out of those pages and into this story was such a treat, and the sheer absurdity of him navigating the modern world made for some truly hilarious situations. The premise does require a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, but that's part of the fun. You just have to go with it rather than overthink the hows, whys, or science behind to truly enjoy it.
More than anything, this felt like a love letter to romance books and to Pride and Prejudice. I especially loved the book's reflection on why romance stories matter in the first place. They bring joy, comfort, and a little bit of hope to people who need it. That's exactly what romance has given me over the years, especially this past year, when I didn't even think I could bring myself to read one. This story gave me that feeling in spades. It was comforting, heartfelt, and genuinely charming, and it came into my life at exactly the right time.
Beneath all the fun of having Mr. Darcy walking the streets of 2026 London and Bath, there's also a lovely journey of grief and self-discovery. After years of self-doubt, feelings of abandonment, and letting a man chip away at her confidence, watching the FMC slowly find her way back to herself while carrying her grief made this feel more layered and emotionally resonant than your typical light romance.
A new favorite for me and one I’d definitely recommend. Most Ardently Yours reminded me exactly why I love romance in the first place, sometimes, people just need a story that makes them happy. And this one certainly did.
To cap off this review, which book boyfriend would you want to summon out of a book? Because Mr. Darcy has opened a whole new world of possibilities. My list already includes Joshua Templeman, Jax Blackwood, Adrian Copeland, and Jacob Maddox (IYKYK).
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Freya Sampson for my copy. All opinions are honest and my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
***Heads up: content outside closed door guidelines/content compatibility.
The premise of this book had a lot of potential, and honestly the synopsis really pulled me in. Unfortunately though, this one ended up falling outside my personal closed door preferences. The harsh language, innuendo, fade to black scene, and overall focus on intimacy made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story.
There is a bit of a love triangle vibe with two possible love interests, but unfortunately neither relationship felt especially believable to me, and I just didn’t personally buy the chemistry.
While this book is technically fade to black, other elements throughout the story still made it feel much steamier/spicier than what I typically read and recommend.
That said, for readers who enjoy bookish references and the Pride and Prejudice inspired elements woven throughout, this could still be a really fun read. It just ultimately wasn’t the best fit for me personally.
I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.
The premise of this book had a lot of potential, and honestly the synopsis really pulled me in. Unfortunately though, this one ended up falling outside my personal closed door preferences. The harsh language, innuendo, fade to black scene, and overall focus on intimacy made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story.
There is a bit of a love triangle vibe with two possible love interests, but unfortunately neither relationship felt especially believable to me, and I just didn’t personally buy the chemistry.
While this book is technically fade to black, other elements throughout the story still made it feel much steamier/spicier than what I typically read and recommend.
That said, for readers who enjoy bookish references and the Pride and Prejudice inspired elements woven throughout, this could still be a really fun read. It just ultimately wasn’t the best fit for me personally.
I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.
September 6, 2026
Utterly beguiling. Just so charming and lovely. Makes me wish I had book magic. ;)
August 14, 2026
I do love a good book about a book but I only just barely liked this one. I really liked the premise but it took over half the book to for Zoe to get over herself and calm down. Once she started thinking rationally I was able to get into the intricacies of the story, and it was great until the end. It felt rushed and wrapped up too quickly for me. I was not on board with the love story either.
August 19, 2026
1.5 ⭐️ this was so disappointing!!!! I love the premise but this just could’ve been so much better. I can suspend disbelief and tolerate a lot of cheesiness but this was too much. Also, the amount of current pop culture references was WAY over the top and it came off as annoying. I probably would’ve DNF’d but I spent money on it so I felt the need to see it through :/
December 23, 2025
3.5⭐
Cute novel, where Fitzwilliam Darcy magically gets transported from book to real life. The plot is quite a bit more involved than that, and as is, this novel is good. Seeing as there is more than 6 months until publication, I'm hoping for some oomph to be added during editing. The writing is fine, the plot is fine, but there is repetition throughout which could be replaced with more detailed scenes, and injected with actual humour. There was a scene between Zoe and Nick which had them laughing until they wept tears, but was not even remotely funny for the reader. I think this book can be a Hallmark movie of the week, but would rather it be punched up to become a Netflix rom-com.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Cute novel, where Fitzwilliam Darcy magically gets transported from book to real life. The plot is quite a bit more involved than that, and as is, this novel is good. Seeing as there is more than 6 months until publication, I'm hoping for some oomph to be added during editing. The writing is fine, the plot is fine, but there is repetition throughout which could be replaced with more detailed scenes, and injected with actual humour. There was a scene between Zoe and Nick which had them laughing until they wept tears, but was not even remotely funny for the reader. I think this book can be a Hallmark movie of the week, but would rather it be punched up to become a Netflix rom-com.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
June 21, 2026
While I’m not really a fan of pride and prejudice, I enjoyed this story. It was charming, unique, and ever so slightly stressful. While didn’t fully buy the love story, I thought the adventure of Mr. Darcy coming into the year 2026 was hilarious and a fun time to read. Overall I think worth the read!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc
July 11, 2026
ABSOLUTELY my new favorite from Freya Sampson. This latest book is a magical realism story about a romance loving aspiring author who finds out she is able to read characters out of books and inexplicably finds herself living with the actual hero from Pride and Prejudice. What follows is a heartfelt enemies to lovers romance full of bookish content, aspirational writerly content that is both an homage to the romance genre and classic Jane Austen style book boyfriends. This was great on audio and perfect for fans of books like Falling for the protagonist by Beth Goos or Romantic Hero by Kristy Greenwood. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 31, 2026
Somehow a book peppered with profanity cheapens the characters of Darcy and Elizabeth. Strike one.
Darcy in 2026 world is not Darcy, acts nothing like I would expect him to act. Strike two.
Annoying main character. Strike three.
The only bright spots for me were Nick the hero and Bianca, the best friend, and Mrs. Atallah the neighbor and Darcy babysitter.
In 2022 I started reading The Eyre Affair not realizing it was fantasy/sci-fi, two genres I avoided at the time. I think I will try again because it has to be better than this.
Darcy in 2026 world is not Darcy, acts nothing like I would expect him to act. Strike two.
Annoying main character. Strike three.
The only bright spots for me were Nick the hero and Bianca, the best friend, and Mrs. Atallah the neighbor and Darcy babysitter.
In 2022 I started reading The Eyre Affair not realizing it was fantasy/sci-fi, two genres I avoided at the time. I think I will try again because it has to be better than this.
August 8, 2026
“The heart is a powerful muscle, and as long as you give it oxygen, food, and water, it will continue to beat, even when it’s broken.”
How would you feel if you could read yourself into a book and also read yourself back out of that book? Basic book magic. What if the plot changes and everything falls apart? You want a lighthearted, fun easy reading book? This will do just fine. A romance book where the heroine saves herself and the characters run the show!
How would you feel if you could read yourself into a book and also read yourself back out of that book? Basic book magic. What if the plot changes and everything falls apart? You want a lighthearted, fun easy reading book? This will do just fine. A romance book where the heroine saves herself and the characters run the show!
July 28, 2026
The book started off okay but the second half felt rushed and too predictable. I didn’t really care for the romance because there was no build up to it. Love Mr. Darcy but not in this book 🥴
August 15, 2026
Delightful. Enchanting. Charming. Whimsical. Heartfelt. Lovely. Endearing. Witty. Magical.
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